The present invention relates to a wheel bearing arrangement and, more particularly, to a wheel bearing arrangement in which a wheel hub is axially supported on a ball bearing and, extending by way of a tube-shaped projection to a first bearing ball, is held in the ball bearing and a clamping bolt is axially supported on the ball bearing and is arranged opposite the wheel hub so as to extend via a bearing sleeve to the tube-shaped projection.
German Patent Document DE-A 21 13 723 shows a known wheel bearing arrangement for a motor vehicle wheel comprising a double-row ball bearing connected with a wheel carrier. A hollow shaft of a wheel hub extends through the ball bearing on which, at an end side on the interior side of the wheel, a connected element is fitted on and is fastened by a screw guided therethrough. In this type of bearing arrangement, an assembly with the guided-through screw requires high expenditures, and because of the considerable length of the hollow shaft, it is not a light-weight construction.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bearing arrangement for a motor vehicle wheel which is easy to mount and results in a light-weight constructional unit while optimizing the safety.
According to the present invention, this object has been achieved by a wheel hub axially supported on the ball bearing and, extending by way of a tube-shaped projection to a first bearing ball, held in the ball bearing. A clamping bolt is axially supported on the ball bearing opposite the wheel hub and extends via a bearing sleeve to the tube-shaped projection which receives the changing bolt by way of a centric pin in a torsion-proof manner.
Principal advantages achieved by the present invention are that the assembly or the clamping-together takes place only from the direction exteriorly of the wheel. During a demounting, the hub part can easily be pulled out of the ball bearing after the loosening of the nut.
The use of a light-metal hub instead of a steel hub results in a significant weight advantage. In order to achieve an optimal bearing support, the light-metal hub is provided with a tube-shaped projection which has only such a length sized to ensure a sufficient longitudinal support as well as a wheel centering.
For establishing a positive locking for the purpose of achieving a torque support, the wheel hub and the clamping bolt have polygonal sections which extend inside one another. Preferably a pentagonal shape and a correspondingly configured receiving device in the wheel hub are used. A centering of the wheel hub takes place by the clamping bolt which, for this purpose, has a sleeve-shaped projection connected with the inner race of the bearing as well as a connecting polygonal pin which is fitted into the tube-shaped projection and receives it in a centering manner.